YOUTHS who continually misbehave at a parade of village shops could be banned from every single store - along with their parents.

A 17-year-old girl has already been barred under the Cheshire Constabularybacked pilot scheme.

As a last resort, the parents of a troublemaker can also face exclusion if they fail to bring their child under control.

The scheme has cut calls relating to nuisance youths by a third in Elton and police will extend the idea to other rural areas if there are similar problems.

Villages being considered include Saughall, Kelsall, Tattenhall and Malpas.

Every shop in Elton signed up to the scheme, which means that if a person gets banned from one store they are automatically banned from every store.

Insp Geoff Williams, of Chester & Ellesmere Port Police, said: 'We have had a reduction of 33% in terms of calls relating to nuisance youths over the last six months.

'All the shops got together and if there are any nuisance youths in the area they get warned by the local police officer. If they continue to do it they have a letter served on them saying they are banned from coming into the shops.'

Insp Williams said the ban could be rescinded after an appropriate period with the necessary apologies and reassurances of good behaviour in future.

He added: 'If there is no parental pressure and the parents have not demonstrated they are trying to resolve these problems then there is an option - but it doesn't necessarily mean it would happen - for them to be banned as well.'

Postmistress Heather Williams, who has helped to co-ordinate the scheme, said: 'It's got rid of gangs hanging around the shops. I don't know whether it's also that the children have grown up.

'They were spitting, there was foul language, they were standing around doorways so people couldn't get through and it was very intimidating for a lot of elderly people who come to the village.

'They were playing ball where they shouldn't and damaging cars and property and ripping surveillance cameras down. You name it, they did it. It's really not a problem any more.'

Elton Parish Council chairman Frank Griffiths said the scheme came from police after a number of incidents.

He said: 'It wasn't out of control, it was just something needed to be done to bring it back into line. It's not Beirut, it's just a village situation with one or two youngsters.'